Pokemon Adventures in Miska
by Rhuen
Summary: A new region with old and new Pokémon alike, The Miska region is filled with mystery and strange new pokemon from the mountains of Miska Town University down to the Riley Islands.
1. Ch01: Hunt for the Elusive Pokemon

The mood in the helicopter is somber as Prof. Oak sits across from an even older gentleman.

"Something wrong Prof. Oak?" asks the man.

Prof. Oak turns slowly and looks out the window; after a deep sigh he says, "I wander for how much longer we can keep up this facade."

"Its been thirty years now," says the man, "Silph corporations history writers, economists, Pokemon League incorporation division; the control tower engineers. Across six regions, even Unova, Kalos, and Sinnoh, and we are currently making headway into Alola."

"Yes," says Prof. Oak, "and I feel we've been very lucky so far. Most of the regions were culturally similar to Kanto, Johto and Hoenn being our neighbors and allies during the last major conflict. Everything we've accomplished has been helped immensly by their cooperation as our means were their best bets to stablize their regions and control the Pokemon."

"But," says the old man, "You wouldn't say it like this if you didn't have a but in there,"

"But," says Prof. Oak turning back to the old man, "we're lucky that when we connected the routes to each other that...the younger generation missed some of the inconsistencies...the number of Pokemon for instance, and types. The radio control system has managed to keep their number of usable moves down to four of course, suppressing their knowledge of how to fight using basic melee even, all very impressive. But...our cultures in how we engaged in Pokemon battles were key to establishing this system. Sinnoh was a tough sell given their history of multi-pokemon field battle; although their one special move per Pokemon was the tipping point of getting them around to the Pokemon League rules, the Pokemon would be less likely to test their restraints with four moves than one."

"I take it," says the old man, "that the reason you are saying all these things I already know...is because you verbalizing something you yourself are pondering."

"Ferrum," says Prof. Oak, "it has rejected the League as we know it, keeping with their coach style and fast paced battle system. While they welcome the Pokeballs, capturing, and such, they insisted their Pokemon be allowed to retain their full combat abilities...not allowing the Silph towers in their region...if we were to open routes to Ferrum for Pokemon trainers, it wouldn't be like with contests, or two on two, or even group battles...which we were able to play off as new region ideas and work into our control system. Trainers and their smarter Pokemon may likely question the four move limitation...realize how unnatural it is...possibly leading to questioning..."

The old man puts his hand up, "I know Prof. Oak, its why we only have trade with Ferrum for now. Miska on the other hand uses group field competition, like Sinnoh...only with ten moves per Pokemon allowed and battling as large groups of upward to six on the field at the time with ten total allowed per battle with switch outs when others faint...my personal only concern is the access to their entire Pokemon bank at all times to switch out any that they want. Maybe if we cut it down to ten on hand...and four on the field at a time or something...something simpler."

"That's all well and good, Prof. Driftwood, but Miska also has one on one contests like Ferrum does. Having their Pokemon compete in both as seperate sports in the two seperate leagues, they do have route connections. Its not like with the Orre region with its thin Pokemon numbers and how we had to adapt the league there. We already have problems with trainers questioning the routes and why they can't explore off of them except in special circumstances. I fear just one trainer finding the mystery villages would be catastrophic for our efforts to re-write history."

"Alot to think about," says Prof. Driftwood, "but we've had these debates before. In thirty years our population has grown slowly, we've restablished contact, if anything even if these small problems are uncovered history will look as us in good favor."

"I wouldn't be helping if I didn't agree," says Prof. Oak, "after all we were both part of the founding team. It has created a lasting peace that seems to spread, but...like I said it feels like we've been lucky, even if it has been thirty years since the war, and twenty since we started to really reconnect our regions. But it could take just that one incident to really cause a stir, already trainers have confirmed at least two dark lord type Pokemon were still around, Giratina and Yveteil, although the towers have affected them too."

"See," says Prof. Driftwood, "even those two Pokemon were influenced and controlled, heck word is even an Arceus was found in Sinnoh and the towers did their job. Not even Dr. Fuji's experiment could resist them that much."

"All true," says Prof. Oak, "but the towers arn't permitted in this boarder city between Miska, Ferrum, and Unova. Even if they were the Pokemon our office recieved reports about crossing boarders was one of the big generals of the war, not like Giratina in its distortion zone, or Yveteil's rampages...an intelligent Pokemon that may be old enough to remember the war...not like Dr. Fuji's experiment, for as powerful as that new Pokemon species is...it was born into a world where the towers already existed...and word is two of them were in the Ferrum region...including a new one that is...making three we know of..."

"Which is why," says Prof. Driftwood, "we have to make sure the sightings are false. After all...think about it my old friend, this Shadow Mewtwo...it has the same coloration and even body type as the infamous Noxarias, our collegue probably just saw Mewtwo or Shadow Mewtwo at the boarder and mistook it for the old nightmare Pokemon...after all...Prof. Thistle was there when Noxarias attacked Tork City with its army, those mental demons don't go away easily."

"As usual," thinks Prof. Oak, "my concerns are swept under the rug. This control system was supposed to be temporary. Its not the trainers I am more concerned about, its the smarter and more powerful Pokemon of the younger generation discovering they are being mentally and physically manipulated."

******

"There it is," says a heavy set male teen looking through some binoculars from under a bush behind a brickwall.

"Let us see," says a girl with oddly curled purple hair and her twin sister poking out from under the bush looking through their own binoculars.

"That's the Shiny Gardevoir I told you about," says the boy, "been trying to catch that thing for two whole weeks now."

What they see does in fact look like a Gardevoir, lounging back in a tree, eating an apple, its blue hair resting like a pillow against a branch.

"It...doesn't look right," says one of the girls.

"Yeah," says the other.

"Because its a shiny," says the boy, "the colors are different, that makes it super rare."

"I know what a shiny is," says the girl closest to him, "but a shiny Gardevoir is orange under its skirt...look closer this one is blue under the skirt, not just blue on its arms and head."

"Not to mention," points out the other girl, "the most obvious thing...look at its chest."

"What..." says the boy, "I...didn't notice that before..."

"How could you not?" asks the girl, "its missing its heart piece crystal."

"Yeah," says the boy, "then that must just mean that its super-rare."

Before ducking down under the bush one of the girls looks closely at the red line where the crystal should be and sees an odd shimmer; however she is unable to keep looking as her sister pulls her under the bush.

******

Elsewhere in town Prof. Oak is talking over a regular phone, "Dr. Lilac, this is Prof. Oak, just wanted to let you know I'm in town; but it seems your out of the office at the moment."

A woman's voice over the phone replies, "Yes Professor, I am busy right tracking an elusive Pokemon. I assume you spoke with Prof. Driftwood on the way over."

"Indeed I did," says Oak, "however I'm afraid he brushed off my concerns regarding Ferrum and Miska."

Lilac *sighs* over the phone, "Please tell me you didn't needlessly exposit a bunch of stuff he would already know first before getting to the point?"

"Well..." stumbles Prof. Oak.

"I know," says Lilac sounding a bit rushed, "its a bad habit of yours...what with decades under your belt mostly talking to new trainers and kids...see...weird to be told exposition huh...crap...I have to run, if you want to talk further, just follow the explosions."

******

As the twins duck next to the wall they watch as the strange Gardevoir eats an apple from the tree as if it had no cares in the world. Its snake like eye turns and looks as the fat boy runs out into the field by the wall at the edge of town, standing some thirty feet from the Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir!" yells out the boy.

"What is he doing?" whispers one of the twins.

"I'm Keith from Pewter City in the Kanto Region!" he yells out, "and I'm going to catch you!"

He throws a pokeball while yelling, "Go Rhyhorn!"

The great stoney beast appears saying its own name it emerges from the glow of its confinement.

The Gardevoir levitates from the tree, the air ripples around it and a great woman's voice can be heard, "Challenge accepted, though you are but a fool to challenge me in such a manner."

"Telepathy," says Keith.

"No," says an old man rushing to the guardrail by the wall, "what is that boy doing?"

"Boy!" yells the man, "It is using its power to vibrate the air around it to talk! I said to ambush that demon not try to catch it!"

"Whatever pops," says Keith, "Rhyhorn use hornattack!"

The Rhyhorn charges and is stopped in the air, levitated by the Gardevoir's psychic power before its hand, it tosses the Rhyhorn at the ground."

"Get up Rhyhorn," says Keith, "counter it with..."

He doesn't have time to issue another command as the Gardevoir attacks, a flurry of flashing aurora lights with spins and dance like movements, finished with the Gardevoir tossing the Rhyhorn into the air with a spinning aerial attack."

It *thumps* down to the ground dizzy and unable to battle.

"That's not how Pokemon fight...you can't just keep attacking, we take turns, you're only able to dodge or power up on your off turn" says Keith confused, "How...that had to be more than four moves too...your cheating!"

The air vibrates once more, "The foolish child grows more foolish."

"Its from Ferrum," shouts one of the twins as they hop into the scene as Keith calls back his Rhyhorn.

"Definetly," says the other twin, "That's how Pokemon battles go down in Ferrum, this Gardevoir must have had a trainer."

The air vibrates, "the words are known, however logic is lost, you humans bore me now with our foolishness. Begone from my sight, this is your only warning."

"No," whispers the old man watching from atop the wall, whiteknuckle gripping the guard rail, "this is all wrong, where are the others? I said to attack that demon all at once, with ten trainers and their sixty pokemon between them. They don't know...that's it...my mistake...I have to..."

Back down in the field the twins begin to chant and magic sigils appear beneath their feet causing the ground beneath them to rise up like twin platforms, dragging Keith up with them as well. A strange portal appears on the ground at the base of the towers.

"What they?" says Keith.

"Its time for a Miska battle," says one of the twins.

"Oh yeah," says the other.

A Houndour, Muk, Shoggy, Haunter, Gengar, and Cloyster all appear from the portal.

"and this is just the opening act of our legion," says one of the twins, "you are out numbered Gardevoir."

The Gardevoir however is smiling, a literal glow in its calculating gaze.

The Muk fires a Sludge Bomb that the Gardevoir dodges with a twirl even as the Haunter tries to strike from behind with a Night Shade, the Cloyster's Icebeam missing by a narrow margain.

"Wow," says Keith, "its on the defensive but..."

He looks up at the twins, they arn't yelling out commands, they are standing there with their eyes glowing in a creepy manner while strange arcane violet sigils float in front of their hands.

"How are they commanding their Pokemon...what kind of battle is this?"

He winces as she looks down at him, however her voice is normal, "This is a Miska battle, we are magically linked to our Pokemon commanding them with our minds regardless of their type."

The Muk shouts as an aurora filled uppercut sends it flying, the Cloyster and Haunter some distance behind the landing Gardevoir look to being crushed by something as it lands, they can't see anything wrapped around them, not even psychic energy. The Muk, Cloyster, and Haunter vanish as energy back to the summoning portal as they have fainted. The Gardevoir levitates into the air.

The Houndour has stayed back watching the fight.

"Its worn down now," says one of the twins.

The other nods.

They pause as they see something strange, four white spikes appear over the top of the Gardevoir's head as if lifting like levers from a heat wave around and in its blue hair before setting back down and vanishing. The old man on the wall sees this and starts to rush down the stairs.

The twins point and the Houndour unleashes a Flamethrower, this however is blocked by psychic energy.

The Gardevoir makes a "Ha!" sounds as it thrusts its arm sending the wall of fire and energy back at the Houndour, smashing up the ground as the Houndour is hit by the impact and engulfed in the flames. As the flames subside the Houndour is summoned back to the portal.

"Impossible!" shouts one of the twins, "Houndour is a Dark Type! Psychic moves can't hurt it!"

The other shouts, "Nor would its own Flamethrower thrown back at it!"

The old man rushes onto the battlefield as he grips a strange device on his wrist, "That's because that isn't a Gardevoir...Its Noxarias!"

He flips the device sending out an energy pulse, that amongst other things causes the two towers to vanish with the twins and a very confused Keith back on the ground like the towers never even existed. However the old man is confused as the energy wave washes over the Gardevoir, quickly revealing and then vanishing something, it has the same basic body structure as Gardevoir and the blue and white color scheme, only a bit bulkier, three close toes on its feet, the three fingers are a bit more like two claws and a claw thumb, the dress like part has slits in it and appears a bit mist like in the slits, it has a glowing red slit on its torso, and the hair is off its face and back along its back, a bit longer than normal as well. The upper set of facial spikes a bit longer than normal and it has four other thin ones over the top and back of its head like two sets of stiff antenna forming a crown.

Just as quickly as that is seen it vanishes back into the likeness of a Shiny Gardevoir.

"What..." stammers the old man, "You...you're not Noxarias!"

"Noxarias?" asks one the twins, "You hired us because you thought this thieving Gardevoir was some make believe boogyman Pokemon?"

Prof. Oak arrived just before the old man rushed down there and watched the final act of the battle from a safe distance. He turns to see an Officer Jenny with stark green hair walk up behind him into this patio cafe from the street looking over the field not far from the river.

"Wait a minute," says the old man, "Its not..."

He shakes his head, "I know what this Pokemon is!"

His face turns pale as he turns and yells, "Run!" to the three young adults.

The unknown Pokemon drops the Gardevoir diguise complety and takes to the air quickly. Two sets of three red spikes on its shoulder blades extend out into cloth like appendages waving in the air ending with three fingered giant hands, these claws grab up the twins as it flies over the old man, scooping them up as it flies into the air.

Oak looks on in horror, and then confusion as Officer Jenny's eyes glow blue and a blue aura comes over her hands. Up above the claws are pryed open by the psychic energy and the girls levitated to the ground behind Officer Jenny. The unknown Pokemon retracts the cloth like claws to its back, returning them to their small soft spike like forms. It turns and looks down at Officer Jenny with its steely gaze.

She shouts up at it, "Why do you want these girls?!"

She puts her hand to her chest, "Take me instead!"

It looks between her and the twins, back and forth twice, before the air vibrates around it and the thunderous woman's voice says, "Accepted!"

As it starts to float down however it is forced to dodge a Fire Blast attack from an Arcanine standing beside Prof. Oak.

"Where I come from," says Prof. Oak, "we stopped Pokemon from kidnapping people, I can't just stand here and let you offer yourself to this Pokemon Officer Jenny."

He looks up at it, "Nor can I let you abduct anyone. I may not know what Pokemon you are...and coming from me that is saying something...but you had better get used to not having your way with the population any longer and learn to behave like a good Pokemon."

It narrows its eyes at Prof. Oak and looks back at the three women behind him and back at him. It opens its mouth showing its fangs and lets out a horrific shriek before vanishing into the air.

After a moment Prof. Oak *sighs*, "Must have been tired from its last fight, I feel like we got lucky there."

He turns and smiles, "Wow, I've never met a an Officer Jenny with psy...*gak*"

Oak is being choked by psychic energy as Jenny says, "How dare you interfere human, I will have..."

"That's enough Gardevoir," says a mysterious green haired woman who comes around the corner, "put Prof. Oak down."

Officer Jenny vanishes in waves and is replaced by Gardevoir. It stoically stands there staring down a now released Prof. Oak.

He rubs his neck and recalls Arcanine to its pokeball, "I see...Dr. Lilac, so that was your Gardevoir...ruthless as always..."

He can feel the intensity of Gardevoir's gaze, even if its expression is unchanging.

"No offense Gardevoir," says Prof. Oak.

The old man and Keith rush up the steps from the field.

"Ah, Prof. Thistle," says Oak, "good to see you again, so was that the Pokemon you were chasing?"

"Not that again," says Lilac, "Prof. Thistle, its bad enough when you get trainers involved in dangerous hunts...for your fictional Pokemon, but you really did it this time."

She stares daggers at him, "this time you got in our way."

"Garde...voir" says the Gardevoir.

"Hmm," thinks Oak, "It spoke just a moment ago...or was that part of its telepathic illusion?"

"Its not fictional," says Thistle, "This time..."

"You and I both know that was Noxarias," says Lilac, "and you know exactly what that was...and that I'm the one who is going to catch it."

Prof. Thistle looks between the twins and Keith, "Yes...the Loreliar..."

"Luckily," says Lilac, "I knew about your ambush attempt...I was able to intercept and pay off four of those kids you hired...two of them took your money and ran on their own though...and you may recal a green haired girl in your group...that was Gardevoir in disguise...its how I knew about it...that boy over there though...wouldn't take my bribe."

"Hah," says Keith, "that's right! I already saw that Gardevoir running around town and was planning on catching it anyway. I Keith of Pewter City in..."

"Pewter City?" asks Prof. Oak, "The routes between Kanto and Miska arn't open...and there arn't any planes either...how'd you get here young man?"

"You...you're Prof. Oak," says Keith with sudden realization, "Well...I went from Kanto to the Orange Islands, from there to Sinnoh, Sinnoh has boats to Unova, and I went from Unova to Orre over the mountains...and then from there to here."

"I...see..." says Prof. Oak.

"Hold on a minute," says one of the twins, "what is going on here?"

"Yeah," says the other, "that old man...Prof. Thistle, he paid us to catch that Shiny Gardevoir because it had been stealing food around town. He didn't say anything about any Noxarias...and definetly not about it really being Loreliar..."

The other nods before adding, "and lady if you were trying to pay everyone off...why didn't you try to pay us off?"

"This feels kind of familiar," says Prof. Oak getting everyone's attention, "A Pokemon disguising its self as another Pokemon, people, or even someone thinking a different legendary is in the area when its really this other illusion casting Pokemon."

"What?" asks Keith.

"Well," says Prof. Oak, "As you may know there are many Pokemon with special abilities that allow them to hide from the average trainer. These range from camoflague too turning invisibile, as well as casting illusions; some so strong that they feel absolutelty real; and even transformations and distorting their environment. I have on record several instances of rare and legendary Pokemon that could do this, including a Latias that disguised its self as a girl it knew. Of course the most incredible of all of these is dimensional distortions. Silph Co designed the Silph Scope to identity Ghost pokemon, and for public safety would later broadcast that signal over the radio towers so other ghost types would be visible. There are other Pokemon that hide in pocket dimensions as well, some so powerful that locally they are regarded as dieties; of course they arn't really deities; simply powerful Pokemon that hide away from the world. This same route of development and need to get around these disguises as lead to the creation of the device Prof. Thistle is wearing, the Pokemon Revealer, it can show the location of any nearby Pokemon even if its hidden behind a pocket dimension."

Lilac shakes her head, "you're doing it again Oak,"

"Sorry," says Prof. Oak, "I just get so excited when I talk to youngsters about Pokemon"

"Noxarias," says Prof. Thistle, "also hides between dimensions, distorting the world's perception of it."

"Oh," says Lilac, "like that time you chased down a Haunter? Or that poor Eevairy? Granted we prove the mythical Eevairy exists...but there was also that time you had trainers taking pictures for you and insisted to the university that you had proof...and it turned out you were chasing a Cadagon and a Zoroark."

Lilac looks to her Gardevoir and the twins before she says, "and this time its the Loreliar I am chasing."

"Uh...about that," says an exhausted twin, "this is all...fascinating...I'm sure but..."

The other twin speaks, "We were just almost abducted by this...Loreliar...which sounds so familiar...I'm not kidding, like I read about it...one of those creepy and weird Pokedex entries they talk about online; on the list of Pokemon that abduct people."

Keith whispers to Prof. Thistle, "yeah...so...what's a Noxarias? I get the impression these guys don't want anyone to know about it."

Prof. Thistle whispers back, "A dangerous Pokemon, a type shifter with whole movesets, it has the ability of Antithesis, able to change to the type strongest against whatever opponent it is facing."

They stop whispering as Lilac says to the twins, "I assure you, you weren't in any mortal danger."

"Lying to your bait?" comes a very old voice from a very old man.

"Ah, Prof. Driftwood," says Oak.

"You have to forgive me," says Driftwood, "I'm not nearly as young and spry as Prof. Oak here..."

Driftwood *sighs*, "Firstly Prof. Oak, I am surprised you never heard of Noxarias, you really should keep up with local folklore."

Driftwood looks at the twins, "you too kids;"

"We're not kids," says one of the twins, "and what did you call us a second go?"

Driftwood seems to ignore them as he says, "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, it is more of a coastal tale; a rival creation myth to Hoen and Sinnoh...*takes a breath*...while other regions have seemed to adopt the Sinnoh creation myth ontop of that of Hoen...it wouldn't be so easy with Miska's...you see...according to the myth there were in ancient times four Pokemon that ruled the world; the Four Pillars of Reality. These were Arceus, Dominus, Progenerus, and...Noxarias. However these four came into conflict with one another over what to do about humans...those strange creatures that had arisen and begun to shape the land with their inventions rather than powers...Progenerus and Noxarias hated humanity...while Dominus and Arceus wanted peace. *Takes a Breath*, Dominus is said to have crafted the first primitive capture device for humans to use; so that humans would not be at the mercy of Progenerus and Noxarias."

Prof. Driftwood sits down and rests his walking stick on the cafe table, "Dominus despite what it did was a neutral third party for most of the war; however there came a time when Arceus and Dominus would team up together and seal the other two."

Prof. Driftwood points to the east, "It is said that Progenerus and Noxarias were sealed under two of the Riley Islands."

"Until," continues Prof. Thistle, "they built the underwater tunnel...through one of the Riley islands rather than around it or over it...Noxarias was freed."

Prof. Driftwood *sighs*, "a tunnel worker had a sighting of something late at night...but the description...and the nearby island...we found a Cadagon there, it fit the description."

The twins suddenly yell, "WHY DID YOU CALL US BAIT!"

This shakes the three male professors alert and Keith. Dr. Lilac however just shrugs, "You all have the same bad habit of expositing."

The Gardevoir nods, "Gardevoir"

Dr. Lilac smiles and says, "Because girls, you are right, getting right down to business...I chose not to pay you two off...or tip you off, you two have four Gym Badges in the new Pokemon League, and Three Badges in the Mystic Link League, also you are totally Loreliar's type...and your twins. No way it wasn't going to accept your battle and then try to carry you off for the night...WHEN...you lost."

The twins look at each other, "uuuhhh,"

"However," says Lilac in a colder tone, "It is going to be targeting you now...for today at least. It rarely follows anyone longer than one day and night...but it is a master of disguise, it could...and likely is still nearby, possibly watching us right now."

Lilac's Gardevoir looks around when they turn and look at it like its searching.

Lilac continues, "My plan was to do exactly what I did, have my Gardevoir in disguise as someone attractive that its never met before..."

She looks at Oak, "there are no Officer Jennys in Miska...and please don't exposit on that...not that you would rationally...but still."

She continues after a brief pause, "I would then have it take my Gardevoir and track it to its lair and make it submit."

Prof. Driftwood blinks and furrows his brow, "Oh my...why AM I here talking about that creation myth?"

He forces himself to stand, "Yes, Thistle's mad pursuit is distracting but...I saw it fly off...Dr. Lilac...this is the same Loreliar you've been chasing for months isn't it?"

His expression grows very cold and serious, essentially talking to the twins as he says, "The same Loreliar that killed a Pokemon Ranger and his team that we hired to go after it..."

He turns slightly to look back at Prof. Thistle before turning back to Dr. Lilac, "We should be grateful you at least tried then to get the trainers out of harm's way...except the ones you wanted to use as bait."

"Hold on," says one of the twins taking out her Pokedex, "I was serious, that sounds so familiar."

She brings up the entry for Loreliar, the dex says, "Loreliar the Heartless Pokemon, Loreliar is infamous for being difficult to catch using ordinary methods; it has been known to destroy trainers who try and catch it that it finds unworthy."

"A killer Pokemon," says the other twin a bit more enthusiastically than Driftwood likes, "but its not like we can take the Pokedex entries too seriously."

"What..." stammers Prof. Oak, "what...what do you mean you can't take the Pokedex seriously?"

"Come on," says one of the twins, "I read one once that said Magikarp can jump over a mountain, that Machamp can move mountains, that Larvitar eats mountains...and did you see how hot it claims Magcargo is? This thing is clearly written either by or for kids who don't overthink it...which makes the creepy and violent entries all the more weird."

The other twin speaks, "So anyway, about this Loreliar...targeting us...so...we going into protective custody? That why you're all here...that thing took down six of our Pokemon pretty soundly...not sure we actually even hit it in that fight...its clearly a Ferrum fighter..."

The twins look at each other and say, "and it would be perfect for entering the Pokken Tournament in Ferrum."

They turn and look at Dr. Lilac who produces a Miska devision Pokken Tournament badge, "My Gardevoir participates in the Miska division."

The twins exchange a look, the Gardevoir notices and looks at Dr. Lilac who looks at it with a knowing expression.

"Sure," says the twins, "we accept your protection,"

The both think, "and when it comes after us, we're the ones who are going to catch it."

"Alright then," says Dr. Lilac, "follow us,"

Gardevoir's apperance goes wavy as it takes on the apperance of a green haired female assistant.

The others however arn't following, the twins expected as much.

"So what now?" asks Prof. Oak, "There is a very dangerous Pokemon loose in this town that you say has already killed people."

"Gyarados kill people," says Driftwood as he turns to leave, "but we don't hunt them all down or try to exterminate Magikarp, for now we can leave this matter to Dr. Lilac...clearly this Loreliar is more powerful than we thought it was."

He points at the air and a security drone decloaks, "I had that following Prof. Thistle...we can go back to my lab and review the battle footage, devise a proper attack plan to capture this thing."

"Your proper capture plan is right here," says Keith, "Rhyhorn is not my best Pokemon, I am going to the center and transferring my best team over."

Keith takes off.

"Wait," says Prof. Oak turning to Driftwood, "the Pokeball storage system is already linked up here?"

"Yes," says Driftwood, "as you heard we even have eight gyms already set up as well...Miska just didn't approve of the radio towers con..."

He looks around, "we should finish this discussion in my lab, time may be of the essence."

Prof. Thistle suddenly shouts out, "I will continue my hunt! I know that Noxarias is here, I tracked it to this town; which means this town now has two dangerous Pokemon in it...its hiding behind the presence of other rare and legendary Pokemon again, but that won't stop me."

He takes off using a Pokemon tracker on his other wrist to locate the nearest Pokemon (which again and again are common urban Pokemon) as he heads down the street.


	2. Ch02: The Dark Secret

The battle wth and subsequent reveal of the Loreliar had been witnessed by other interested parties. Afterall what had appeared to be a "Shiny" Gardevoir with a broken or missing heart spike had been in town for a little over two weeks now; and it hadn't exactly been hiding its presence...other than hiding what it really was.

A large man with a thick black beard, wearing a brown duster and brown wide brimmed hat watched the scene through binoculars from a rooftop a few blocks away. He *chuckles* to himself as he stands up and pats a strange gun like gauntlet on his right arm, "even better than some pallete changed Gardevoir, the legendary Loreliar...the heartless Pokemon, the client should love that even better than her...symbol of...a...broken...heart."

He stammers as he sees the Shiny Gardevoir with the missing heart crystal, yet it has a red line that appears to be swirling energy where it should be.

He smiles and moves like he is about to talk but then, "Ha!" and blasts it with his gauntlet, seemingly turning it into a golden Gardevoir statue, "Strange..." he says, "I'd have thought your stature would look liike your tr...*gahk*"

Something big and sharp has run him through, he rips at what feels like a giant conical spike, as everything starts to fade away he remembers the two arm like structures that came out of the Loreliar's back, and watches as the eyes of the statue crack with blue glowing lines; which spread across the entire body before it shatters to pieces revealing the Loreliar's true form underneath. It pulls back its cloth like limb, retracting it into its back, leaving the man with an oddly black smoking hole in his torso instead of bleeding out to lie there on the roof top.

The Loreliar floats over and looks down at him, its four head spikes pulling up like a solar crown as it looks down at him and tells him telepathically, "death...is only the beginning."

He is mostly paralyzed as the sun bakes down on him, the black and purple flame like smoke apparently being held back by the sunlight.

"Curse," coughs the man as his vision blurs, "damn...must..."

He forces all his strength to move his arms and reach for a Pokeball, "come out...Bannete."

The Bannete appears and looks down at him, "Bannete," he says, "get...me...to...the ship."

The Bannete drags him, but...

"Wait," says the man, "not..." he watches as it drags him to the edge of the roof and lets him fall off into the shadowed alley."

He *screams* as his body explodes in black flames and smoke. The Bannete floats down as the man's body is missing and in its place is a Duskull.

"What...happened?" asks the Duskull.

The Bannete actually seems to be blushing, "Cee...you...so handsome."

"Ba...Bannete," says the Duskull, "what..."

It looks down at its own limbs and towards the ground, "AH! I'm floating! Why am I floating...and since when can you talk?! and..."

He stops in front of a window, "I...I'm...a Duskull?! The legend was right! Wait...the legends...screw that...I'm a ghost!...wait...I'm a Pokemon...a ghost Pokemon!"

The Bannete floats up face to face with him and is smiling...a creppy sight to be sure given what its mouth looks like.

"Uh...Bannete," says the Duskull, "what are you..."

It hugs him, "Take back to ship," and floats off into the air heading away from town, the sunlight irritates him more than he realized it irritated ghost Pokemon, even if its not overly painful.

******

Prof. Oak and Prof. Driftwood are descending down a very advanced looking elevator.

"Why are you bringing me down to the experimental section?" asks Oak breaking the silence, "I would think we'd be heading to the Pokemon containment area for some balls and transfer over some stronger and appropriate type Pokemon to capture this Loreliar as Dr. Lilac called it."

"The Loreliar," says Driftwood calmly, "is what I trully feared was here in Kathulu Town...Thistle's chase for Noxarias is a diversion at best..but what is happening here...what I could not talk about over any line or mail...and most certainly not on the helicopter around the men...something that must be kept between us...you have to see it to truly grasp the horror we are up against."

The doors open to a dark lab filled with large tubes, some have Abra in them, a tube full of Ghastly and Haunter, another with a pair of Gengar, a Lopunny, and even a Mr. Mime and a few Scyther. In the center however is a tube filled with a green fluid and a man floating there connected to various tubes and devices, he looks to be in pain.

"What is this?" asks Prof. Oak, "why are you holding these Pokemon here? and why...wait...I know that man...Steven Fosser...he's a Pokemon Ranger."

"That," says Driftwood, "is the man Dr. Lilac was talking about, the man who a month and a half ago ambushed the Loreliar as it was heading here, ambushed it near Dragon Falls...they had this..."

He points to a device on a table, "The Revealer Scope, a combination of the Silph Scope and the Pokemon Revealer that Thistle used. Just by looking at a Pokemon it is forced to drop its diguise..."

"But Dr. Lilac said he was killed...as was his team," says Oak.

"Indeed," says Driftwood, "and there they are...those Ghastly and Haunter...those are his team."

"What?" asks Prof. Oak, "I've heard of people becoming certain types of Pokemon before...namely ghost types...and Abra...but always under very special conditions, extremly rare special conditions...you mean to tell me his entire team...wait...are you saying the Loreliar did this?"

"Indeed," says Driftwood, "its is a legion maker...and not just the typical infectious type like a Yanmask or Dusclops...it can choose to turn others into Pokemon. It removes those hunting it...by actually destroying them...their humanity, turning them into Pokemon...usually ghost types but..."

He indicates the other Pokemon being held, "these are trainers, we saw them being turned and...captured them...for their own safety of course."

"Liar!" yells the Lopunny, "You just don't want us telling the world what you're doing down here you sicko!"

Driftwood glares at it, "That woman had sex with the Loreliar, in fact she was my assistant...she knew what it could do...and ASKED it to turn her...into this very specific Pokemon...that it could was certainly a gain to learn...turn people into specific Pokemon and not just ghosts when it kills them...but...she..."

"Don't listen to him Oak..."

Driftwood presses a button releasing a sleep wave into the container.

"Poor girl," says Driftwood, "whatever she had hoped to accomplish...we won't really know...once turned their minds become more like Pokemon by the hour...she was turned three days ago."

"Hold on," says Oak, "I thought Dr. Lilac had been chasing it since it showed up here?"

"She was part of the team," says Driftwood, "of Mr. Fosser here. Her squad was at a different potential point of ingress to the town should the ambush fail...she dismissed her team after the ambush team was wiped out...she saw the bodies as we hauled them away...but not the transformations...I would like to believe that anyway. Chances are with these other trainers...and her methods, especially in regards to those Thistle tried to bring in...chances are she knows and has her own plan to take it down."

"What about Steven Fosser?" asks Oak, "you said everyone was turned into Pokemon...and this was a month and a half ago...and that boy was chasing it for two weeks as well...somethings arn't adding up here Professor."

"Don't be so suspicious," says Driftwood, "We have been using a serum and energy pulse based on studies of the move Disable, it has so far halted the progress of the transformation for Mr. Fosser...but not without a cost. He is strong, and the vitamin and mineral bath with the energizer devices have kept his strength up...as much as the can...but it is at a steady loss...eventually his body will give way to the transformation. We are also keeping these others here to study the transformation...yes...not just for their own safety or that this lab is down here...and especially not the presence of..."

"Sir," says a technician, "we just got a signal,"

"Drat," says Driftwood, "very quickly Prof. Oak, those changed by the Loreliar give off a different energy signature than Pokemon or humans, at least for the first few days, realizing this we set up dishes across town to detect when this signature appeared..."

"Its heading to the edge of town quickly," says the tech, "we have a visual,"

"and cameras all over town as well..." says Oak, "I see why you wanted this kept secret."

"its an emergency," says Driftwood, "people are being turned into Pokemon..."

"What..." says Driftwood looking at the screen of a Duskull and a Bannete flying over rooftops sticking to the shadows as much as possible.

"It is just one signal?" asks Driftwood.

"Yes," says the tech, "it seems this Bannete was this individual's own Pokemon most likely."

"Another trainer," says Driftwood.

"It doesn't appear so," says a female tech behind them, "we traced his path along the signal to its origin. It looks like it was...Hunter Cee...sir."

"Don't tell me you hired a Pokemon Hunter?" asks Oak.

"Desperate times," says Driftwood, "and besides most hunters are legitimate...where do you think prize Pokemon come from?"

Oak shakes his head slowly, "I can see why you are doing this, however I fear you are mostly putting people in danger. Not to mention..."

Oak's eyes glow blue and a deep man's voice comes forth, "You are holding these created Pokemon against their will. I do not sense anger or hatred for their transformations, you kept all but one silent."

"What is this?!" demands Driftwood.

Oak falls over asleep and a figure appears from thin air behind him, Mewtwo.

"A Mewtwo!" yells Driftwood.

"Pokemon created from humans," says Mewtwo its voice a deep echo in their minds, "fascinating. I will study your findings and equipment, and both improve them and change them as I see fit for my own purposes."

"We won't help you!" yells Driftwood, "I know which Mewtwo you are...X."

"Your cooperation," says Mewtwo, "is not a factor."

With a wave of its hand they all fall asleep. As its eyes glow the containers holding the Pokemon all break.

"I have put the entire staff upstairs asleep," says Mewtwo, "now go...and be free...free to explore this world as Pokemon."

All but the Lopunny head into the elevator, as it is asleep.

"Awaken," says Mewtwo standing over it.

"Where...no wait...WHAT are you?" asks the Lopunny.

"I am Mewtwo, and you are free."

"Did..." it looks around, "did you kill them?"

"No," says Mewtwo, "they are only asleep. I will put them upstairs after you have all gone, and erase the knowledge of this lab's existence from their memories or that they were hunting this...Loreliar."

"Why?" asks the Lopunny walking towards the elevator, "why are you after her?"

"Her..." says Mewtwo, "why were you after...her?"

The Lopunny smiles, "because in my village the Loreliar was part of a legend. The singing goddess of the river. Those who wronged her or caused needless harm in the area were turned into ghost pokemon with no memory of their former selves to wander the world alone, but it was said those who made her happy got to hear her beautiful song...but at the cost of being turned into a pokemon that best fit your own personality. Some saw it as a price, or feared what they might become its said...I had to know...and I'm glad."

"I see," says Mewtwo, "fascinating."

"But..." says the Lopunny, "what about him...his ghost wound was healed...this...is not in the legend...what are you going to do with him?"

"I will stop these machines," says Mewtwo, "and we will just have to see what he becomes!"

With its psychic powers the machines stop, the tube cracks, and the man falls down. He looks at Mewtwo and Lopunny and says, "thank you..."

He looks at Driftwood on the ground, "curse you..."

He growls as his body is enveloped in black shadowy flames, "Curse you...for tormenting me! No rest...no sleep...only pain!"

The black flames erupt in a cyclone, when they part, the man Steven Foster stands there no more, now it is Darkrai. It floats a moment in confusing and looks around.

"Not here," says Darkrai, "I...I am Darkrai arn't I? I can wait."

It vanishes into the shadows of the cieling.

"If you don't mind," says Lopunny, "I'd like to carry Prof. Oak with me...he can help..."

"I will allow it," says Mewtwo, "he will have no memory of coming down here, it will be as if he heard about the account of the Loreliar from Prof. Driftwood in the lab above...and nothing else...they will both thing this."

The Lopunny leaves carrying Oak into the elevator and then into the lab upstairs. The others are shortly after teleported up there.

"Oh sure," says the Lopunny, "and I had to volunteer to carry a guy...not that he's that heavy...Lopunny sure are strong for our size."

It dawns on her as she looks out to the city, "I'm a Pokemon...I'm free...really...free."


End file.
